2012 Conference Highlights

Chris Kuehl - "Economic Review and Outlook"

Co-founder and Managing Director, Armada Corporate Intelligence

Co-founder and Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence, a company created in 1999 to provide strategy foundation, competitive intelligence, business analysis and economic forecasting for corporate clients. Armada’s clients include TranSystems, Baader Manufacturing, Spencer Fane Britt and Browne, KPMG, Hallmark International, Americo Insurance and others.

Chris is the economist for the National Association of Credit Managers, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, Missouri Society of CPAs, The Kentucky Society of CPAs, The National Association of Lighting Manufacturers, Riemer Reporting Service and others.

In addition to the over 100 speeches given each year, Chris is a frequent commentator for the media – locally and nationally – and has been extensively quoted in national newspapers, magazines and trade publications.

Chris is the editor and primary writer for several publications:

• Business Intelligence Briefs – a daily distributed through Chambers of Commerce throughout the US focused on US economic and business issues
• Fabrinomics – a bi-weekly industry analysis produced by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association
• Daily industry analysis and assessment for clients such as TranSystems and YRC Worldwide
• Monthly Credit Managers Index for the National Association of Credit Managers

 

Daniel Murray - "Calculating the Operational Costs of Trucking"

Vice President, Research, ATRI

Dan is the Vice President of Research for the American Transportation Research Institute. ATRI conducts objective research, analysis and evaluation on a range of freight transportation issues relating to safety, technology, productivity and security.

Dan has overall responsibility for directing ATRI’s portfolio of research initiatives, and has served as project manager on transportation research sponsored by multiple local, state and federal agencies. He also has served on various transportation research committees for organizations such as the National Research Council, TRB, and General Accounting Office and Council on Competitiveness.

 

 

Peter Taglia - "Natural Gas, the Future or a Fad?"

Environmental Geologist, Research, Wisconsin State Energy Office

Peter Taglia is a professional geologist and consultant in numerous aspects of energy policy, transportation fuels and scientific analysis of these systems. Peter has done extensive work with the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, Wisconsin's Task Force on Global Warming, transportation advisory groups to the Midwestern Governors Association and the Wisconsin Legislative Council. Peter has recently organized educational symposiums on the emerging markets for transportation fuels from the utility sector (both electricity and natural gas) and leading sessions on CNG opportunities for fleet owners. Peter began his career conducting contaminant investigations, remediation, and environmental permitting at energy facilities and currently performs research, analysis and education for clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Peter's current projects include leading Wisconsin's natural gas vehicle fuel roundtable on behalf of Wisconsin's State Energy Office, environmental consulting for local community organizations and energy analyses for the UW Madison. Prior to independent consulting, Peter worked for Clean Wisconsin, an environmental organization, and RMT, an environmental engineering firm. Peter holds a B.A. in environmental geology from the University of Montana and a M.S. in hydrogeology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

Jim Van Den Elzen - "Creating Future Drivers"

President/Owner, Drivings-cool, inc.

After a 20 year career as an over-the-road truck driver Jim Van Den Elzen returned to school receiving an electronics degree from Northwest Wisconsin Technical College. He went on to work for 10 years in the insurance business before he saw a need for driving training, driver safety programs and most recently driver recruitment.

Today as President of drivings-cool, inc. Jim’s goal is to educate students across the United States in alternative careers in the transportation industry through scheduled visits using a mobile classroom equipped with a driving simulator.

An integral part of drivings-cool, inc. is students will be offered a “commit to commit” contract. It can be accessed through their web-site where a student can sign up for a scholarship and when they reach high school graduation may be eligible for up to $25,000 towards further education in a related field.